Ms Harbans Kaur Sekhon was one of the first professional women of Punjabi heritage in the Yuba City area. The daughter of Mr. Khazan Singh and Mrs. Sham Kaur Johl, Harbans Sekhon was born in the Punjab in 1934 and moved with her family to Fiji in 1935. After completing St Philomela Catholic School in Fiji, her father arranged for her to finish her high school education in the Punjab so that she could pursue a professional career.
Ms Harbans Sekhon at Sacramento State University. Courtesy of Mrs Harbans Sekhon.
By her own account, Harbans Sekhon struggled to obtain an education and pursue a career in the medical profession. She persevered in her education, graduating from Yuba College in 1958 and Sacramento State College in 1971. She was the first nurse of Punjabi heritage in the Yuba City area working for the Rideout and Fremont Medical Center. She enjoyed working as a general nurse learning about many different areas of speciality, including pharmaceutical nursing. She worked as a nurse from 1960 until 2001.
Harbans Sekhon is currently retired and lives in Yuba City. She has one son named Harvinder S. Sekhon who was born in July 1965.
All photographs are courtesy of Mrs. Harbans Sekhon.
SOURCE:
Harbans Kaur Sekhon Interview by Nicole Ranganath, June 22, 2016, Yuba City, CA.